Vehicle window regulators



Aug. 4, 1964 J. A- MASLONKA VEHICLE WINDOW REGULATORS 2 Sheets-Sheet-l Filed May 9, 1960 INVENTOR JAN hum. maswmm ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1964 J. A. MASLONKA VEHICLE wmnow REGULATORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 9, 1960 INVTDR Jm Amman. MASLONKA United States Patent 3,143,340 VEHICLE WINDOW REGULATORS Jan Anatol Maslonka, Birmingham, England, assignor to Wihnot-Breeden Limited, Birmingham, England Filed May 9, 1960, Ser. No. 27,771 Claims priority, application Great Britain May 11, 1959 2 Claims. (Cl. 268-427) This invention relates to vehicle window regulators and is of particular, though by no means exclusive, application to power-operated vehicle window regulators.

Power-operated window regulator mechanisms commonly employ a screw and nut assembly coupled to a reversible electric motor with a window operating lever pivotally attached intermediate its ends to the nut and at the end remote from the window to the free end of a floating link which is pivoted about a fixed axis. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle window regulator the linkage of which is of relatively simple and rigid form, and which is constructed to provide an increased mechanical advantage as the linkage approaches the window closed position.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, a power-operated window regulator in accordance with the invention, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the regulator,

FIGURE 2 is a side view,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view on the line IVIV in FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line VV in FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view, with some parts removed, on the line VI-VI in FIGURE 1 showing the regulator fitted within the door structure.

The regulator has a pressed main body 1 on which is flexibly mounted a screw and nut assembly comprising a vertically arranged screw 2 and a lifting nut 3. This assembly embodies sealed ball bearings 4 in which the screw 2 is rotatably mounted and through which it projects at both ends, these bearings being fitted in housings on mounting plates 5 which are mounted on upper and lower flanges 6 of the body 1 by means of rubber bushes 7 (shown more clearly in FIGURES 2 and 4). The bushes 7 are in the form of grommets mounted in the flanges 6 and engaged by studs 8 riveted to the plates 5. Each bearing 4 is of the magneto type and arranged to withstand inward axial loading so that between them they provide axial location for the screw 2.

A reversible electric driving motor 9 of conventional form (shown in FIGURE 6) is mounted independently in the door structure and has a driving shaft 10 coupled to the upper end of the screw 2 by a flexible rubber coupling 12.

A vertical cut-out slot in the body 1 has parallel edge portions 13 pressed to the shape shown in FIGURE 5 to provide vertical guides for the nut 3. The latter is of rectangular cross-section and is provided at each side with a nylon slide-block 14 recessed into the nut. The slides 13 engage in grooves 14a in the slide-blocks 14 to guide axial traversing movement of the nut 3 so that the screw 2 is largely relieved of side loading and provide means which prevent the nut 3 turning with the screw 2.

A pair of arms 15 and 16 extend sidewardly from the body 1 at the lower end thereof and at their outer ends have riveted thereto pivot pins 17. Two crossed window operating levers 18 and 19, each slotted along an intermediate portion of its length at 20, are respectively pivoted at their lower ends on the pivot pins 17, being located on these pins axially thereof by circlips 22. The slotted levers 18 and 19 cross each other to provide a balanced linkage for operation of the window, and the slots 20 intersect at the point of cross-over.

The nut 3 is provided with a projection in the form of a pin 23 which engages and passes through the slots 20, the levers being located on this pin by a circlip 24. A pair of rollers 25 is mounted on the pin 23, and each of these rollers engages between the pin and one of the levers 18 and 19 to provide a bearing. At its upper end each of the levers 18 and 19 has a projecting stud 26 which engages a window channel 27 (see FIGURE 6) fixed to the lower edge of the window 28. Traversing movement of the nut 3 along the screw 2 as a result of rotation of the latter moves the pin 23 along the slots 24) to pivot the levers 18 and 19 about the pivot pins 17 so that the studs 26 are raised and lowered together. The variation in horizontal spacing of the studs 26 during movement of the window is accommodated by sliding movement of the studs 26 in the window channel 27. In the drawings the regulator is shown in the window closed position.

To enable the upper ends of the operating levers 18 and 19 to move in a common plane they are cranked at 18a and 19a respectively. In order to provide the maximum spacing of the studs 26 and hence well spaced support for the window 28, for a given overall height of the regulator and traverse of the nut 3, the levers 18 and 19 are slightly cranked in the plane of FIGURE 1 adjacent the upper extremities of the slots.

Each of the slots 20 is cam shaped with a lower part aligned with the longitudinal axis of the lower portion of the corresponding window operating lever and merging into an upper part Ztla more steeply inclined to the horizontal; each of the slots is a mirror image of the other about the line VI-VI in FIGURE 1. Thus in closing the window the nut 3 travels up the screw 2, and when the projection 23 reaches the upper parts 20a of the slots 20 the levers 18 and 19 are pivoted at a relatively slower speed so that, for a given motor speed, the window is lifted somewhat more slowly as it approaches the fully closed position. An increased mechanical advantage is thus obtained and for the same power output of the motor 9 a greater closing force is exerted on the window 28.

A pair of spiral torsion springs 29 provide resilient means tending to urge the levers 18 and 19 upwardly. Each of the springs 29 has its inner end fixed to the corresponding pivot pin 17 and its outer end engaged by a spring anchor peg 30 riveted to the corresponding lever 18 or 19, and combined they exert an upward pivoting force on the two levers 18 and 19 which is somewhat greater than the downward pivotal force exerted by the window 28 and associated parts.

The body 1 has fixing holes in which are mounted rubber bushes 31 generally similar to the bushes 7 already described, and the regulator is mounted in the door structure by fixing bolts 32 passing through the bushes 31. The resilient mounting of the regulator in the door structure, combined with the resilient mounting of the v screw and nut assembly 2, 3 and the use of a resilient coupling 12 for the motor drive, serves to reduce the transmission of noise to the vehicle interior during operation of the motor 9. To assist in this the motor 9 is also resiliently mounted in the door structure between mounting brackets 33.

A bracket 34 attached to the bottom of the body 1 provides a mounting for a flexible drive, comprising a fixed flexible outer sheath 35 and a flexible inner drive core 35a coupled at its inner end to the screw 2, which on assembly is turned through to terminate at a mounting 36 on the inner door panel 37. The outer end of the drive 29 sheath 35 is normally sealed by a rubber plug 38, but in the event of electrical failure or jamming the plug 38 can be removed and a suitably shaped winding handle inserted in the mounting 36 and engaged with the outer end of the drive core 35a to turn the screw 2 and operate the actuator manually.

Although the nut 3 as illustrated is of simple internally threaded form it will be appreciated that any equivalent arrangement can be used which will traverse along the screw 2 as a result of rotation thereof. For example, the nut can be of the recirculating ball type.

I claim:

1. A vehicle window regulator comprising in combination a screw and nut assembly, guide means for the nut of said assembly which act to prevent rotation of said nut, and two crossed window operating levers each having a cam-shaped slot along an intermediate portion of its length in the region of cross-over, said levers respectively being pivotally mounted at one end about fixed axes disposed on opposite sides of the screw with the other ends of the levers being adapted to act on the window, said nut having a projection engaging both slots in said levers and movable therealong during rotation of the screw to pivot said levers in opposite directions about said fixed axes, each of said cam-shaped slots including a portion substantially aligned with respect to the pivotal axis of each lever and another portion merg ing with said first-mentioned portion and being upwardly ofiset therefrom whereby an increased mechanical advantage is obtained as the levers are caused to be moved by the projection to a window closed position, and means for rotating the screw.

2. A vehicle window regulator comprising a main body,

a screw and nut assembly, flexible mounting means mounting said assembly on said main body, guide means for guiding movement of said nut along said screw and preventing rotation of said nut, and a window operating lever with a cam-shaped slot along an intermediate portion of its length and pivotally mounted at one end about a fixed axis disposed to one side of the axis of said screw with the other end of the lever adapted to act on the window, said nut having a projection engaging the slot in said lever and movable therealong during rotation of the screw to pivot the lever about said fixed axis and produce corresponding window movement, said camshaped slot including a portion substantially aligned with respect to the pivotal axis of said lever and another portion merging with said first-mentioned portion and being upwardly ofiset therefrom whereby an increased mechanical advantage is obtained as the lever is caused to be moved by the projection to a window closed position, and means for rotating the screw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A VEHICLE WINDOW REGULATOR COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A SCREW AND NUT ASSEMBLY, GUIDE MEANS FOR THE NUT OF SAID ASSEMBLY WHICH ACT TO PREVENT ROTATION OF SAID NUT, AND TWO CROSSED WINDOW OPERATING LEVERS EACH HAVING A CAM-SHAPED SLOT ALONG AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF ITS LENGTH IN THE REGION OF CROSS-OVER, SAID LEVERS RESPECTIVELY BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ONE END ABOUT FIXED AXES DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SCREW WITH THE OTHER ENDS OF THE LEVERS BEING ADAPTED TO ACT ON THE WINDOW, SAID NUT HAVING A PROJECTION ENGAGING BOTH SLOTS IN SAID LEVERS AND MOVABLE THEREALONG DURING ROTATION OF THE SCREW TO PIVOT SAID LEVERS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS ABOUT SAID FIXED AXES, EACH OF SAID CAM-SHAPED SLOTS INCLUDING A PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH RESPECT TO 